Feature: Woman Wept release debut single “Shortchange”

My stylish, talented friend Nallie is a bassist who has been playing bass since she was a child. In January 2024 she along with Sophie, Fin, and Leo have formed a band in London called Woman Wept, who describe themselves as “angry girl music of the indie rock persuasion”. If you’re looking for a song for a Galentine’s Day celebration in a day and age where women’s rights are under attack by governments, then look no further. It’s often said that when the world turns more conservative, that’s when the counterculture gets interesting and really cool, rebellious art is made and you’ve seen it throughout history. It’s cathartic and is a form of expression when it’s most needed. The 60s was a time of chaos and violence, but it was the golden age of protest songs. The 80s was a very conservative time with Reagan and Thatcher, but in response to that you punk and gothic rock. Even in this century, Green Day’s American Idiot came out in the Bush years and was a response to the early 2000s jingoism in America.

Inspired by music of the past, but also indie music of the present, we have Woman Wept, a female-fronted and led-band with many queer/feminist/riot grrrl influences who have made a name for themselves playing in grassroots venues like The Victoria in Dalston and The Amersham Arms since the summer of 2024. So they’re a band on the up and up. Earlier in the winter, Woman Wept were busy in the studio working on their debut single “Shortchange”, which was written in May 2024 and they’ve been teasing for a while. It was produced and mixed by Chris Ostler, a member of one of the band’s favourite bands Black Honey. Now that’s what I call living the dream!

Personally, I’m a big fan of one of the movies that influenced their sound and aesthetic, Scott Pilgrim, like that was my whole last year of secondary school. I would read all the graphic novels and I even saw the movie in the cinema. I was a champion of the film early on, even as people called it a box office flop, even before it became a cult classic. “Shortchange” definitely sounds like it would be in Scott Pilgrim and I could see Envy Adams singing this song. I love the bass and the angstiness of the lyrics and vocals. It’s very polished and well-produced and gives me an excellent first impression of the band. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Woman Wept! It’s worth the wait!

If you’re in London, Woman Wept are playing a single launch gig at The Water Rats with SNM, Winnx, and Porcelain Doll opening for them. You can buy tickets here for just £8, that’s cheaper than a lot of movies these days and local and indie gigs are always so much fun. If you can’t get to London, no worries, you can pre-save the single here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Woman Wept (@womanweptuk)

Since the single doesn’t come out for another few days, I’ll share a playlist of what the band’s been listening to so you can get an idea of their influences, which include bands like Black Honey, Lambrini Girls, Amyl and the Sniffers, Dream Wife, Hole and Wolf Alice.

You can follow Woman Wept on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Liked this blog post and want to support my work and see more? Donate to The Diversity of Classic Rock on Patreon or Paypal or follow me on Facebook, Bluesky or Instagram, buy my book Crime of the Century, click the follow button on my website, leave a nice comment, send your music or classic rock related books for review, or donate your art and writing talents to the blog. Thank you for your support! If you donate any amount of money to my Patreon or PayPal, you’ll get a Crime of the Century ebook, so it’s basically pay what you can! The best deal you’ll get on the book and you won’t find this deal anywhere else! I just want to give back to my readers and say thank you for your support.